This class gave me a lot of excitement and A LOT of dread. Every time Friday rolled around I would get onto my laptop around 10pm and finally start doing some assignments. Every time Monday rolled around, I remembered I had to take the cupcake like 15 minutes before the cupcake was due, and then I would later at around 11pm start doing my peer reviews. Was this the smartest way to complete this course? Of course not. If I knew then what I know now about completing this course, would I change my habits? Of course not. I really enjoyed some of the assignments though. You had us talk about my 3 favorite things to talk about: failure, pet peeves, and books. But then there were moments where I just didn't do an assignment, which was very sad. So there were both good and bad times.
My favorite experiences for this class was recording my elevator pitches. First off, I really like attention so any time I am in front of a camera, I flourish. Second of all: I feel like these assignments brought me closer to my roommates. There was something really funny about being in front of a camera in a full on suit (and underwear but thanks to my roommates none of you knew that). It was really a fun experience and I would not change any bit of it. I think I will remember the recordings that my friends made for me talking about my human capital. That was actually an assignment that made me tear up. I asked my sister for a recording, and what she said for me was sincerely one of the sweetest things I've ever heard.
As lame as this sounds, I believe in the 21st century, there will be a lot of entrepreneurs. Often, entrepreneurs are looked down upon because it isn't as secure of a job as a doctor or engineer. But with the change of technology, it is becoming more and more important to become an entrepreneur of sorts and I believe I will be trying my hardest to tap into this mindset.
For students taking this course in the future: Take it relatively seriously. A lot of my friends saw it as an easy-a course. And in a way, it is. In a way, it doesn't take that much brainpower to do a lot of the assignments. But a lot of my friends also put zero effort into each of their posts. I do not recommend this. I believe it is very important to reflect upon the things that you find to be important. The venture concept should be an interpretation of something that YOU find important. I picked something that I found important. It wasn't a traditional idea, but I ran with it and had a blast.
So yeah. It is a simple recommendation, but a genuine one.
Also I would tell them not to pay attention to the percentage because it is a point based course, but that is a different story.
Friday, April 19, 2019
Venture Concept No. 2
1.
Here is the revised version of my venture concept:
Gainesville, Florida has the 4th largest financial equity gap in the nation. This is bad, but it gets much worse when you realize that the United states as the 9th largest financial equity gap in the world. Gainesville is small enough to where you, and individual, can make an impact and big enough to where your impact actually matters. So, Gainesville seems like the proper place to begin this venture if any. A venture to help make the odds of success more equal: a mentorship venture which will be called "Mentorship in Motion". The window for this opportunity is massive. There are people all over the city who have been waiting for the right moment to improve their lives and pick up the pieces.
Although I have already explained a few reasons why there is an opportunity "Mentorship with Motion", allow me to delve into more detail. Gainesville’s economy has improved substantially when looking at it from afar in the last century because of the University of Florida. But the problem with this is that you are looking from afar. The University of Florida is a land tax exempt institution like all public universities. It also doesn’t pay a PILOT tax. It also gets electricity from Duke Energy rather than the local Utility, GRU. Because of this, the University of Florida gives very little money back to the city, GRU rates are very high, and the city doesn’t have enough resources to give back to the community. There are many people east of 13th street who have just never seen the west side of town. They live paycheck to paycheck if they are so lucky to receive a paycheck. Many of them resort to taking drugs or settling in a less than adequate life because they believe they are destined for a life of lower quality. My venture will be created to give these people more of an opportunity. My venture will allow these people to realize that they have more opportunities than previously imagined. It will encourage some to go to a community college, and others to be trained for well-payed blue collared work such as electricians, linemen, and plumbers.
Allow me to talk about money. If my target audience are people who cannot afford luxuries, how are they going to afford the luxury of being mentored? Well, if they are tax paying citizens, that is how they are paying for this service. If they are not tax paying citizens, then other people are paying for their service. This organization will be government funded and donation based. Being that we are attempting to give a lot to the community, we will also be tabling and putting on events in places like depot park, bo didley, first magnitude, and more. These will be areas that we will get funds to allow this program to thrive. Next, allow me to talk about this innovation. The reason that this is an innovation is because it continues to replenish itself. Alcoholics Anonymous is an organization that allows alcoholics to be surrounded by people like them and be helped by people who have gone through similar situations. That will be true with my organization as well. I will create a culture within this organization that encourages people to just give back once they feel that the organization has given a lot to them. People will tell their stories and lift each other up. Although there will be professionals working as volunteers, there will also be people who have gone through hell and back to change their lives. I will also be connected to a variety of different of organizations: a coalition of organizations if you will. That way, if people feel they aren’t getting enough out of "Mentorship in Motion", they can join a different organization that may attempt to improve their situation from a different perspective. Government funding, along with donations from the people around Gainesville who hear about us during events or through tabling will certainly be enough for funding.
There are many organizations who attempt to accomplish what I am trying to accomplish with this one. LEEP, reading pals, and the Reichert House Youth Academy are all organizations with the same goals as the one I am suggesting. That is why a coalition is necessary. A coalition will take away the competitive nature of these organizations and will bring in a feeling of community. If these organizations were to merge, then they could give tips to each other as well as give the clients that they are working with other opportunities. It isn’t that these mentorship opportunities aren’t enough for the people in Gainesville. But different people learn in different ways and need different perspectives. The truth of the matter is that although Gainesville’s situation is improving, there is still indeed a problem that is easy to see from afar.
There are many resources I have to help me with this opportunity, but I believe the most important one is my network. I know many people in Gainesville who would help me bring my idea to fruition and even volunteer for the organization regularly. It isn’t only about what you know. It is about who you know. After this organization takes off, I want to look into ways to solve problems across a bigger land mass, maybe Florida, maybe somewhere abroad. I want to be able to have the biggest impact possible.
Unfortunately, there are many problems in this city that have yet to be fixed. But with the help of people across the city, we might be able to make a different. Because although there is a financial equity gap in Gainesville, you will almost never meet someone who isn’t concerned about this problem. Gainesville cares. And we will change this city for the better with "Mentorship in Motion".
2.
I will start by saying that I had no comments on my last Venture Concept.
HOWEVER, since I didn't have any comments, I asked my roommate to provide feedback. My roommate happens to also be taking this class, so he knew what he was looking for. He also has more of a business-like mind that I do. So he told me that I needed to include my venture name in this description. I felt idiotic that I didn't include it in the first draft.
He also told me to give more of a pitch. He told me to go more into detail about why Gainesville needs this and how it will be funded. He told me that although it is a nonprofit, it still needs to be funded somehow.
3. I decided to put in the new name "Mentorship in Motion" (Inspiring, simple, and an alliteration) throughout the text so people would remember it.
I also expanded more in the 3rd paragraph. I added to the end of it and made a few edits in the middle of it to sound like it was more of a business pitch. I was talking about money, which is how this society is run. And I am trying to sell the idea of a nonprofit. That is very hard to do, so I believe spending more time on this paragraph was the right thing to do.
4. This program specifically targets Gainesville, so I included a picture that every acr will know.
Here is the revised version of my venture concept:
Gainesville, Florida has the 4th largest financial equity gap in the nation. This is bad, but it gets much worse when you realize that the United states as the 9th largest financial equity gap in the world. Gainesville is small enough to where you, and individual, can make an impact and big enough to where your impact actually matters. So, Gainesville seems like the proper place to begin this venture if any. A venture to help make the odds of success more equal: a mentorship venture which will be called "Mentorship in Motion". The window for this opportunity is massive. There are people all over the city who have been waiting for the right moment to improve their lives and pick up the pieces.
Although I have already explained a few reasons why there is an opportunity "Mentorship with Motion", allow me to delve into more detail. Gainesville’s economy has improved substantially when looking at it from afar in the last century because of the University of Florida. But the problem with this is that you are looking from afar. The University of Florida is a land tax exempt institution like all public universities. It also doesn’t pay a PILOT tax. It also gets electricity from Duke Energy rather than the local Utility, GRU. Because of this, the University of Florida gives very little money back to the city, GRU rates are very high, and the city doesn’t have enough resources to give back to the community. There are many people east of 13th street who have just never seen the west side of town. They live paycheck to paycheck if they are so lucky to receive a paycheck. Many of them resort to taking drugs or settling in a less than adequate life because they believe they are destined for a life of lower quality. My venture will be created to give these people more of an opportunity. My venture will allow these people to realize that they have more opportunities than previously imagined. It will encourage some to go to a community college, and others to be trained for well-payed blue collared work such as electricians, linemen, and plumbers.
Allow me to talk about money. If my target audience are people who cannot afford luxuries, how are they going to afford the luxury of being mentored? Well, if they are tax paying citizens, that is how they are paying for this service. If they are not tax paying citizens, then other people are paying for their service. This organization will be government funded and donation based. Being that we are attempting to give a lot to the community, we will also be tabling and putting on events in places like depot park, bo didley, first magnitude, and more. These will be areas that we will get funds to allow this program to thrive. Next, allow me to talk about this innovation. The reason that this is an innovation is because it continues to replenish itself. Alcoholics Anonymous is an organization that allows alcoholics to be surrounded by people like them and be helped by people who have gone through similar situations. That will be true with my organization as well. I will create a culture within this organization that encourages people to just give back once they feel that the organization has given a lot to them. People will tell their stories and lift each other up. Although there will be professionals working as volunteers, there will also be people who have gone through hell and back to change their lives. I will also be connected to a variety of different of organizations: a coalition of organizations if you will. That way, if people feel they aren’t getting enough out of "Mentorship in Motion", they can join a different organization that may attempt to improve their situation from a different perspective. Government funding, along with donations from the people around Gainesville who hear about us during events or through tabling will certainly be enough for funding.
There are many organizations who attempt to accomplish what I am trying to accomplish with this one. LEEP, reading pals, and the Reichert House Youth Academy are all organizations with the same goals as the one I am suggesting. That is why a coalition is necessary. A coalition will take away the competitive nature of these organizations and will bring in a feeling of community. If these organizations were to merge, then they could give tips to each other as well as give the clients that they are working with other opportunities. It isn’t that these mentorship opportunities aren’t enough for the people in Gainesville. But different people learn in different ways and need different perspectives. The truth of the matter is that although Gainesville’s situation is improving, there is still indeed a problem that is easy to see from afar.
There are many resources I have to help me with this opportunity, but I believe the most important one is my network. I know many people in Gainesville who would help me bring my idea to fruition and even volunteer for the organization regularly. It isn’t only about what you know. It is about who you know. After this organization takes off, I want to look into ways to solve problems across a bigger land mass, maybe Florida, maybe somewhere abroad. I want to be able to have the biggest impact possible.
Unfortunately, there are many problems in this city that have yet to be fixed. But with the help of people across the city, we might be able to make a different. Because although there is a financial equity gap in Gainesville, you will almost never meet someone who isn’t concerned about this problem. Gainesville cares. And we will change this city for the better with "Mentorship in Motion".
2.
I will start by saying that I had no comments on my last Venture Concept.
HOWEVER, since I didn't have any comments, I asked my roommate to provide feedback. My roommate happens to also be taking this class, so he knew what he was looking for. He also has more of a business-like mind that I do. So he told me that I needed to include my venture name in this description. I felt idiotic that I didn't include it in the first draft.
He also told me to give more of a pitch. He told me to go more into detail about why Gainesville needs this and how it will be funded. He told me that although it is a nonprofit, it still needs to be funded somehow.
3. I decided to put in the new name "Mentorship in Motion" (Inspiring, simple, and an alliteration) throughout the text so people would remember it.
I also expanded more in the 3rd paragraph. I added to the end of it and made a few edits in the middle of it to sound like it was more of a business pitch. I was talking about money, which is how this society is run. And I am trying to sell the idea of a nonprofit. That is very hard to do, so I believe spending more time on this paragraph was the right thing to do.
4. This program specifically targets Gainesville, so I included a picture that every acr will know.
Friday, April 12, 2019
Exit Strategy
1. In the area of nonprofit, success of the nonprofit is often determined by whether or not it is self-sustaining. If everything goes right, I would be able to leave my venture and the people that I leave it to would be able to continue the venture as I would have wanted it. Not only will there be mentorship for the purposes of finding employment, there would be mentorship to help run the venture itself.
2. The reason I have selected this route is because, when you are creating a humanitarian nonprofit, you need to be able to understand that the problem will never completely go away. There will always be people who need to have a mentor and I believe that this is the proper way to move on. I need to be able to train people and keep this venture going. I don't need to sell it. I will simply move on to something.
3. This venture will always be necessary. But hopefully it will become less necessary in the future. Gainesville has an enormous income and equality gap. This will never completely go away, but it can shrink substantially. Mentorship is always necessary. There might be a point where the customer switches and the problems change. The problems will hopefully become less dramatic in the future, but one can only hope. But I believe if my venture goes on that there will at least be another group of kindhearted individuals who want to do good.
2. The reason I have selected this route is because, when you are creating a humanitarian nonprofit, you need to be able to understand that the problem will never completely go away. There will always be people who need to have a mentor and I believe that this is the proper way to move on. I need to be able to train people and keep this venture going. I don't need to sell it. I will simply move on to something.
3. This venture will always be necessary. But hopefully it will become less necessary in the future. Gainesville has an enormous income and equality gap. This will never completely go away, but it can shrink substantially. Mentorship is always necessary. There might be a point where the customer switches and the problems change. The problems will hopefully become less dramatic in the future, but one can only hope. But I believe if my venture goes on that there will at least be another group of kindhearted individuals who want to do good.
Reading Reflection No. 3
I decided to choose "Steve Jobs" by Walter Isaacson. I chose this book because I had previously read "Leonardo Divinci" by Isaacson and was incredibly impressed. Isaacson is not only an incredible author/biographer, he is also the former CEO of CNN and a managing editor at Times, and he really lives up to his name.
1. As I mentioned above, Isaacson also wrote "Leonardo Da Vinci". What surprised me most about Steve Jobs is the influence that Da Vinci had on him. Da Vinci said that "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication". This is ultimately how he came up with the the name "Apple". He was on an apple farm at the time, and Jobs ultimately knew that people like simple, and simple is what sells. It is what gets stuck in our brains. So he picked Apple as the name.
2. Although it may be a little taboo to say this, Steve Jobs was delusional, but it really worked for him. Jobs was able to bend reality so and made it his own. He talked up his product until his product no longer needed to be talked up. He convinced members of the team to work until they no longer could. He was truly a genius.
3. The very beginning of the book confused me, but it was about a confusing subject. Steve Jobs was put up for adoption by his biological parents, because his biological mother's family didn't approve of her relationship with the father. It seemed to me that putting the child into foster care could have been avoided, but it worked out for Jobs in the end.
4. These both might be very corny questions, but I would ask the following:
- Do you believe that all of your professional success has given you a sense of fulfillment?
- What are some tips that you wish you would have gotten when you first began pursuing entrepreneurship?
Steve Jobs is one of the most respected people in our nation. He's gone now, but he was a mind to be admired. I want to know if he believes he made a positive impact and if he has achieved fulfillment because of it.
5. Steve Jobs believed in working until you cannot physically work any more. In America, I don't think enough emphasis is put on being a human first and there is an epidemic of workaholic-ism and we should take more breaks.
1. As I mentioned above, Isaacson also wrote "Leonardo Da Vinci". What surprised me most about Steve Jobs is the influence that Da Vinci had on him. Da Vinci said that "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication". This is ultimately how he came up with the the name "Apple". He was on an apple farm at the time, and Jobs ultimately knew that people like simple, and simple is what sells. It is what gets stuck in our brains. So he picked Apple as the name.
2. Although it may be a little taboo to say this, Steve Jobs was delusional, but it really worked for him. Jobs was able to bend reality so and made it his own. He talked up his product until his product no longer needed to be talked up. He convinced members of the team to work until they no longer could. He was truly a genius.
3. The very beginning of the book confused me, but it was about a confusing subject. Steve Jobs was put up for adoption by his biological parents, because his biological mother's family didn't approve of her relationship with the father. It seemed to me that putting the child into foster care could have been avoided, but it worked out for Jobs in the end.
4. These both might be very corny questions, but I would ask the following:
- Do you believe that all of your professional success has given you a sense of fulfillment?
- What are some tips that you wish you would have gotten when you first began pursuing entrepreneurship?
Steve Jobs is one of the most respected people in our nation. He's gone now, but he was a mind to be admired. I want to know if he believes he made a positive impact and if he has achieved fulfillment because of it.
5. Steve Jobs believed in working until you cannot physically work any more. In America, I don't think enough emphasis is put on being a human first and there is an epidemic of workaholic-ism and we should take more breaks.
Celebrating Failure
Allow me to talk about several small failures that I believe has shaped me this semester. I know that this assignment wants me to pick one, but all of these failures are interconnected.
My Failures
I have had several small failures that put my life into perspective for me. A lot of the failures were due to laziness. But I have learned a lot about myself through these failures. Let's talk about the first one. Every semester, I come up with a semester goal. This semester, I failed to not only achieve a goal, but also even come up with a goal.
My course load this semester was rather small. Which brings me to my next failure. Not only was my course load small. I also didn't do terrific in the classes that I DID have. I didn't fail any of my classes, but I got more B's than I had wanted and now I will have to make it up in more rigorous semesters.
Now I will talk about my personal life. Without delving too much into detail, I will say that I have not been surrounding myself with the people that I should have been. There are a lot of people that I have been friends with simply because it made me more comfortable. I failed to surround myself with new people who could help shape me further.
.
None of these may sound like "failures". But to me, they were a result of laziness. I have been far too lazy this semester. I haven't been eating the best, I have been frivolously spending, and I haven't been feeling like I have been at my A game because of this.
So if I were to fit my failures into one word, it would have to been "laziness".
What I Learned
I learned a lot from my failures. A lot of what I learned was lifestyle changes. I now have a dry erase calendar in my room to make sure I am true to my commitments. I gave away the things in my room that I couldn't justify having and been living a more organized life. I have been writing in a journal more because I want to be able to organize my thoughts - as lame as that might sound. In general, I feel like I have set myself up better for next semester.
My Thoughts on Failure
My thoughts on failure aren't original. But I genuinely believe they are a part of life. It is completely outrageous to believe that you will just walk through life constantly thriving. Failure shapes the qualities in a person that a lot of people admire: tenacity, modesty, resolve, and patience. If it weren't for failure, the successes wouldn't be as sweet. We would just re-calibrate our thoughts on what success is.Friday, April 5, 2019
What's Next?
Current Venture
It is time to find the right people for my organization. Although there are a few, I really need to get the word out for this organization to grow and in order to have the kind of impact that I truly want. In order to do so, I must be able to advertise to my target audience.
Here are three potential customers and what I got out of interviews with them.
Makai Lovett
Makai told me that although he liked the spirit of my idea, there are many flaws. One of these flaws is that I am disregarding an important part of what's keeping a lot of people in these unfortunate situations. One of my flaws is that there are many who self medicate with substances and these substances keep them down. Makai told me that my organization would have no control over how these substances affect the people in the neighborhoods he grew up in.
Jonathan Parks
Jonathan has lived in Gainesville for 30 years and moved here because of the support systems that Gainesville has to offer. Jonathan told me that in order to stand out, I would have to include something drastically innovative with my organization rather than it is "self rejuvenating". He said that many organizations are like this and mine would not be the first especially in Gainesville.
Lola Johnson
Lola just turned 19 and she believes that I have a lot going for me with my mentorship program. But she said there must be an appeal to younger people. From what I have included in my mentorship program so far, it wouldn't appeal to my target audience. I need to do a better job motivating potential customers.
Because of what these potential customers told me, there is still a lot that I need to think about in order to improve this venture. The first of which is the need to rebrand in order to appeal to a younger audience. I must also find a way to make the organization for innovative. I believe I will be able to think of more innovations for the organization as my hands get dirtier.
I also understand that drugs are a problem in Gainesville that is next to impossible to solve on my own. Because of this, I will try to use rehabilitation centers as recommended resources and also help the organization know that some of the problems that we are attempting to deal with are very much out of our control.
Future Venture:
Here is my radically different market: Those who have good jobs, but in areas that are easily automated. Unfortunately there are 3.5 million truckers, 1.3 million accountants, and many many other workers whether they be white collared or blue collared who are at risk for being unemployed due to automation. Because of this, my mentorship program will be targeting a more affluent group of people in order to train them for other fields that are less likely to be automated such as electricians, linemen, and plumbers.
Jackson Blakely:
Jackson, or as others call him, Jacks is a trucker. The moment I began talking about my opportunity, he told me he completely understands what I am doing and told me more that I can do with the opportunity. Jacks says that he spends most of his time on the road and hasn't had the time to get a college education or any other skill sets and he believe he will probably be seeking out other opportunities in the future in order to provide for his family.
Jill Goslinga
I appraoched Professor Goslinga, knowing she wasn't at risk for having her job taken, but because she may be able to give me more insight about this topic. She is a CPA, a lawyer, and a professor of Financial Accounting. But she does understand that some people at entry level jobs who deal with things such as bookkeeping may be at risk of having their job taken. But she also believes that others will be able to do more with their career with the help of machines. She does support me because accounting will get more competitive in the future and those who may have put all their eggs in one basket may need mentorship to decide what they will do with their life.
This market is radically different and my venture would need to adapt substantially in order to better suit it. I do however believe that it is the right thing to do. The economy is in drastic times which call for drastic measures. Adapting people to that economy should be priority.
It is time to find the right people for my organization. Although there are a few, I really need to get the word out for this organization to grow and in order to have the kind of impact that I truly want. In order to do so, I must be able to advertise to my target audience.
Here are three potential customers and what I got out of interviews with them.
Makai Lovett
Makai told me that although he liked the spirit of my idea, there are many flaws. One of these flaws is that I am disregarding an important part of what's keeping a lot of people in these unfortunate situations. One of my flaws is that there are many who self medicate with substances and these substances keep them down. Makai told me that my organization would have no control over how these substances affect the people in the neighborhoods he grew up in.
Jonathan Parks
Jonathan has lived in Gainesville for 30 years and moved here because of the support systems that Gainesville has to offer. Jonathan told me that in order to stand out, I would have to include something drastically innovative with my organization rather than it is "self rejuvenating". He said that many organizations are like this and mine would not be the first especially in Gainesville.
Lola Johnson
Lola just turned 19 and she believes that I have a lot going for me with my mentorship program. But she said there must be an appeal to younger people. From what I have included in my mentorship program so far, it wouldn't appeal to my target audience. I need to do a better job motivating potential customers.
Because of what these potential customers told me, there is still a lot that I need to think about in order to improve this venture. The first of which is the need to rebrand in order to appeal to a younger audience. I must also find a way to make the organization for innovative. I believe I will be able to think of more innovations for the organization as my hands get dirtier.
I also understand that drugs are a problem in Gainesville that is next to impossible to solve on my own. Because of this, I will try to use rehabilitation centers as recommended resources and also help the organization know that some of the problems that we are attempting to deal with are very much out of our control.
Future Venture:
Here is my radically different market: Those who have good jobs, but in areas that are easily automated. Unfortunately there are 3.5 million truckers, 1.3 million accountants, and many many other workers whether they be white collared or blue collared who are at risk for being unemployed due to automation. Because of this, my mentorship program will be targeting a more affluent group of people in order to train them for other fields that are less likely to be automated such as electricians, linemen, and plumbers.
Jackson Blakely:
Jackson, or as others call him, Jacks is a trucker. The moment I began talking about my opportunity, he told me he completely understands what I am doing and told me more that I can do with the opportunity. Jacks says that he spends most of his time on the road and hasn't had the time to get a college education or any other skill sets and he believe he will probably be seeking out other opportunities in the future in order to provide for his family.
Jill Goslinga
I appraoched Professor Goslinga, knowing she wasn't at risk for having her job taken, but because she may be able to give me more insight about this topic. She is a CPA, a lawyer, and a professor of Financial Accounting. But she does understand that some people at entry level jobs who deal with things such as bookkeeping may be at risk of having their job taken. But she also believes that others will be able to do more with their career with the help of machines. She does support me because accounting will get more competitive in the future and those who may have put all their eggs in one basket may need mentorship to decide what they will do with their life.
This market is radically different and my venture would need to adapt substantially in order to better suit it. I do however believe that it is the right thing to do. The economy is in drastic times which call for drastic measures. Adapting people to that economy should be priority.
Putting It All Together
Gainesville, Florida has the 4th largest financial
equity gap in the nation. This is bad, but it gets much worse when you realize
that the United states as the 9th largest financial equity gap in
the world. Gainesville is small enough to where you, and individual, can make
an impact and big enough to where your impact actually matters. So, Gainesville
seems like the proper place to begin this venture if any. A venture to help make
the odds of success more equal: a mentorship venture. The window for this
opportunity is massive. There are people all over the city who have been
waiting for the right moment to improve their lives and pick up the pieces.
Although I have already explained a few reasons why there is
an opportunity for this, allow me to delve into more detail. Gainesville’s
economy has improved substantially when looking at it from afar in the last
century because of the University of Florida. But the problem with this is that
you are looking from afar. The University of Florida is a land tax exempt institution
like all public universities. It also doesn’t pay a PILOT tax. It also gets electricity
from Duke Energy rather than the local Utility, GRU. Because of this, the University
of Florida gives very little money back to the city, GRU rates are very high,
and the city doesn’t have enough resources to give back to the community. There
are many people east of 13th street who have just never seen the
west side of town. They live paycheck to paycheck if they are so lucky to
receive a paycheck. Many of them resort to taking drugs or settling in a less
than adequate life because they believe they are destined for a life of lower
quality. My venture will be created to give these people more of an opportunity.
My venture will allow these people to realize that they have more opportunities
than previously imagined. It will encourage some to go to a community college,
and others to be trained for well-payed blue collared work such as
electricians, linemen, and plumbers.
Allow me to talk about money. If my target audience are
people who cannot afford luxuries, how are they going to afford their luxuries?
Well, if they are tax paying citizens, that is how they are paying for this
service. If they are not tax paying citizens, then other people are paying for
their service. This organization will be government funded and donation based.
Being that we are attempting to give a lot to the community, we will also be
tabling and putting on events in places like depot park, bo didley, first
magnitude, and more. These will be areas that we will get funds to allow this
program to thrive. Next, allow me to talk about this innovation. The reason
that this is an innovation is because it continues to replenish itself. Alcoholics
Anonymous is an organization that allows alcoholics to be surrounded by people like
them and be helped by people who have gone through similar situations. That will
be true with my organization as well. I will create a culture within this organization
that encourages people to just give back once they feel that the organization
has given a lot to them. People will tell their stories and lift each other up.
Although there will be professionals working as volunteers, there will also be people
who have gone through hell and back to change their lives. I will also be
connected to a variety of different of organizations: a coalition of organizations
if you will. That way, if people feel they aren’t getting enough out of the
mentorship program, they can join a different organization that may attempt to
improve their situation from a different perspective.
There are many organizations who attempt to accomplish what
I am trying to accomplish with this one. LEEP, reading pals, and the Reichert
House Youth Academy are all organizations with the same goals as the one I am
suggesting. That is why a coalition is necessary. A coalition will take away
the competitive nature of these organizations and will bring in a feeling of
community. If these organizations were to merge, then they could give tips to
each other as well as give the clients that they are working with other
opportunities. It isn’t that these mentorship opportunities aren’t enough for
the people in Gainesville. But different people learn in different ways and
need different perspectives. The truth of the matter is that although
Gainesville’s situation is improving, there is still indeed a problem that is
easy to see from afar.
There are many resources I have to help me with this
opportunity, but I believe the most important one is my network. I know many
people in Gainesville who would help me bring my idea to fruition and even
volunteer for the organization regularly. It isn’t only about what you know. It
is about who you know. After this organization takes off, I want to look into
ways to solve problems across a bigger land mass, maybe Florida, maybe
somewhere abroad. I want to be able to have the biggest impact possible.
Unfortunately, there are many problems in this city that
have yet to be fixed. But with the help of people across the city, we might be
able to make a different. Because although there is a financial equity gap in
Gainesville, you will almost never meet someone who isn’t concerned about this
problem. Gainesville cares. And we will change this city for the better.
Your Venture’s Unfair Advantage
There are several resources that give my organization an unfair advantage.
1. My network
I am a young kid around Gainesville that spends a lot of time trying to give back. People know that about me and people see potential in me. I am friends/acquaintances with many people around Gainesville that could help me out with this project and maybe even regularly volunteer with the organization. I have been friends with Commissioner David Arreola since before he became commissioner, I have interviewed the mayor and invited him to several events, I am friends with many people from the Civic Media Center who do a lot for the homeless community in general, and I've volunteered my Monday's last year to help Saint Francis house. People trust me.
2. My membership to government funded organizations
I am already a member of several nonprofits. If need be, I could make this mentorship program associated with another nonprofit that receives government money to take it off the ground, and once the program lifts off the ground I could separate it from the nonprofit and petition to make it a nonprofit.
3. My knowledge of Gainesville
So far I have included A LOT of intangible resources. But they are important in the creation of this nonprofit. I have stated many times that I have lived in Gainesville all my life and therefore know it like the back of my hand. I have a good understanding of the people I should target, the resources I could get, the organizations that could help, and the limitations of the city.
4. Mentorship experience
I have already been a mentor before. Not only have I been a mentor for this organization called ILP. I have also been a mentor for MANY elementary schoolers for Reading Pals. This gives me direct experience for my venture.
5. My location
I live torward the east side of town which is the population that I will be targeting, so commuting won't be a problem. My parents live near the Oaks Mall, which is surprisingly another area that unfortunately is full of inequity because of an initiative that tried to move the location of many households to the west side of town to try to "integrate" the upperclass and lowerclass. Unfortunately, it had many negative consequences. Many of these people still WORK on the west side of town, and need to commute back to the west side of town in order to pick up their kids from school and then many times go back to work. In many situations, they don't even have a car. It ridiculous and very unfair.
6. Mentorship materials
I have many books that are related to mentorship and turning around your life. These books are anywhere from motivational novels to textbooks which will come in handy when I am teaching people.
7. A group of dedicated volunteers
I cannot stress enough that I have been a member of many organizations, inside and outside of the University of Florida and therefore I know a lot of people who have not only volunteered with me, but volunteered regularly. So I know many people who are dedicated to the work they do. Unfortunately, when it comes to service, many people burn out quickly. It is hard to work for free especially when you don't notice tangible consequences right away. I know a group of people that stay dedicated to the work they do even when going through experiences like this.
8. A space
This seems very simple, but it is also very crucial. Let's face it. I am a college student. Therefore I do not have the money to afford anything ridiculous. But I do personally know the owners of several community spaces that are regularly used for nonprofits.
9. Members who can speak Spanish
I am seriously trying to learn to speak Spanish and although I am progressing, I am nowhere near where I need to be to have a complicated conversation with the people that I am attempting to help.
Gainesville is a sanctuary city. Because of this, we have many members of the hispanic community who are in Gainesville seeking asylum and a better life. Being that I have volunteers who can speak Spanish, it will help me reach a broader group of individuals.
10. Friends in low income households and the homeless community
I have spent a lot of time downtown and in St Francis house and because of this, there are many familiar faces. I have known a few people who unfortunately passed away after hard years on the streets. But I also know many who seek to live a better life. Who want to be independent.
The top resource would definitely be my first one: my network. It is very hard for ideas to come into fruition if you don't have connections. As they always say: "It isn't about what you know. It is about who you know". I believe my network will help me strive in this venture and whatever ventures I have in the future.
1. My network
I am a young kid around Gainesville that spends a lot of time trying to give back. People know that about me and people see potential in me. I am friends/acquaintances with many people around Gainesville that could help me out with this project and maybe even regularly volunteer with the organization. I have been friends with Commissioner David Arreola since before he became commissioner, I have interviewed the mayor and invited him to several events, I am friends with many people from the Civic Media Center who do a lot for the homeless community in general, and I've volunteered my Monday's last year to help Saint Francis house. People trust me.
2. My membership to government funded organizations
I am already a member of several nonprofits. If need be, I could make this mentorship program associated with another nonprofit that receives government money to take it off the ground, and once the program lifts off the ground I could separate it from the nonprofit and petition to make it a nonprofit.
3. My knowledge of Gainesville
So far I have included A LOT of intangible resources. But they are important in the creation of this nonprofit. I have stated many times that I have lived in Gainesville all my life and therefore know it like the back of my hand. I have a good understanding of the people I should target, the resources I could get, the organizations that could help, and the limitations of the city.
4. Mentorship experience
I have already been a mentor before. Not only have I been a mentor for this organization called ILP. I have also been a mentor for MANY elementary schoolers for Reading Pals. This gives me direct experience for my venture.
5. My location
I live torward the east side of town which is the population that I will be targeting, so commuting won't be a problem. My parents live near the Oaks Mall, which is surprisingly another area that unfortunately is full of inequity because of an initiative that tried to move the location of many households to the west side of town to try to "integrate" the upperclass and lowerclass. Unfortunately, it had many negative consequences. Many of these people still WORK on the west side of town, and need to commute back to the west side of town in order to pick up their kids from school and then many times go back to work. In many situations, they don't even have a car. It ridiculous and very unfair.
6. Mentorship materials
I have many books that are related to mentorship and turning around your life. These books are anywhere from motivational novels to textbooks which will come in handy when I am teaching people.
7. A group of dedicated volunteers
I cannot stress enough that I have been a member of many organizations, inside and outside of the University of Florida and therefore I know a lot of people who have not only volunteered with me, but volunteered regularly. So I know many people who are dedicated to the work they do. Unfortunately, when it comes to service, many people burn out quickly. It is hard to work for free especially when you don't notice tangible consequences right away. I know a group of people that stay dedicated to the work they do even when going through experiences like this.
8. A space
This seems very simple, but it is also very crucial. Let's face it. I am a college student. Therefore I do not have the money to afford anything ridiculous. But I do personally know the owners of several community spaces that are regularly used for nonprofits.
9. Members who can speak Spanish
I am seriously trying to learn to speak Spanish and although I am progressing, I am nowhere near where I need to be to have a complicated conversation with the people that I am attempting to help.
Gainesville is a sanctuary city. Because of this, we have many members of the hispanic community who are in Gainesville seeking asylum and a better life. Being that I have volunteers who can speak Spanish, it will help me reach a broader group of individuals.
10. Friends in low income households and the homeless community
I have spent a lot of time downtown and in St Francis house and because of this, there are many familiar faces. I have known a few people who unfortunately passed away after hard years on the streets. But I also know many who seek to live a better life. Who want to be independent.
The top resource would definitely be my first one: my network. It is very hard for ideas to come into fruition if you don't have connections. As they always say: "It isn't about what you know. It is about who you know". I believe my network will help me strive in this venture and whatever ventures I have in the future.
Friday, March 29, 2019
Elevator Pitch No. 3
Here is the link to my 3rd elevator pitch. Hope you enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFPWz_V6dzU&list=UUrS8r1R-1Q0DAS7PhkXOI1Q&index=10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFPWz_V6dzU&list=UUrS8r1R-1Q0DAS7PhkXOI1Q&index=10
Bringing In A Second Opinion
Book: Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
1. The argument in this book is that we have to modes of thinking: fast and slow thinking. The first way of thought are intuitive. Daniel explains that this mode of thought is very influential. They are off the cuff ways of thinking and they allow us to finish the sentence "bread and..." He explains that those with a developed fast thinking ability are on the road to success. Daniel also explains that there is slow thinking. These are decisions that are more deliberate and use more brain power. It is also tremendously important to have an advanced slow thinking ability. But slow thinking can also lead to overthinking which can lead to laziness and ultimately failure. Those who fail often do so due to a poor handling of slow thinking.
2. This book gave a psychological approach to what I have been learning in ENT 3003. It gave me an idea of what the brain goes through when I can't decide on a decision to make and why I may not follow through with certain decisions.
3. The exercise would definitely be an exercise designed to get people to overthink. I would probably say a riddle that is in reality very easy to solve, but only those with an advanced fast thinking ability will get a chance to solve.
4. There was a section of the book that focused on decision making and how our decisions do not always take into account our best interest. He argues that are decisions are largely based on our memories which can alter within 15 minutes of whatever event we are attempting to remember. We therefore make our decisions based on this altered memory. He gives several exercises for avoiding this mistake that I will definitely use in the future.
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Growing Your Social Capital
John Alexander
1) Who they are and what their background is.
John Alexander is the executive director of the Reichert House Youth Academy in Gainesville, which is an organization that focuses on getting the youth in Gainesville on the right path.
2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.
John Alexander will be my domain expert. He has worked in the mentorship field for quite some time now. He knows what to do and what not to do.
3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.
I met this person when I was tabling for Reading Pals at the Martin Luther King Center at a local mentorship event. He was a terrific speaker and truly believed in what he was doing.
4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation?
This person gave me the a brief overview of the resources I may need. He simply wants me to do good. He believes in me.
5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?
This person knows how to make a successful nonprofit mentorship program work. I will for sure use him in my network in the future.
Reverend Gerard Duncan
1) Who they are:
Pastor Duncan is a well known person within the Gainesville area who is well known for the food drives that he has. Although I am developing a mentorship program, we have a similar audience.
2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.
Market Expert
3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.
I actually contacted Pastor Duncan about 2 weeks ago because I was interested in helping out with his food drives. He was referred to me by Commissioner David Arreola when I told Comm. Arreola what I wanted to do while in Gainesville.
4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation?
This person helped me by giving me experience. I've always been relatively involved in the community, but this person taught me how to do it successfully. He will certainly help me with my endeavors for I helped him with his.
5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?
Being that this person is well connected, I also can get in contact with others with similar endeavors.
Rahkiah Brown
1) Who they are and what their background is.
Rahkiah is the woman in charge with Reading Pals, an organization with the goal of getting children in 1st-3rd grade to be on reading level.
2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.
Rahkiah is the supplier. Although her materials are generally for elementary schoolers, United Way is her parent company and this organization has the supplies for an effort like this.
3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.
I was an intern for Rahkiah last fall.
4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation?
This person has given me input to how to run the nonprofit successfully and has also given me supplies to do so as far as textbooks, people, and a place to work out of.
5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?
This person has done many favors for me and I will continue working for her in order to improve both of our organizations.
Reflect
This networking experience has been one of the more ambitious initiatives that I have been a part of. As opposed to the past, this one is more hands on. I will be building something from scratch and that will certainly be an experience .
1) Who they are and what their background is.
John Alexander is the executive director of the Reichert House Youth Academy in Gainesville, which is an organization that focuses on getting the youth in Gainesville on the right path.
2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.
John Alexander will be my domain expert. He has worked in the mentorship field for quite some time now. He knows what to do and what not to do.
3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.
I met this person when I was tabling for Reading Pals at the Martin Luther King Center at a local mentorship event. He was a terrific speaker and truly believed in what he was doing.
4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation?
This person gave me the a brief overview of the resources I may need. He simply wants me to do good. He believes in me.
5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?
This person knows how to make a successful nonprofit mentorship program work. I will for sure use him in my network in the future.
Reverend Gerard Duncan
1) Who they are:
Pastor Duncan is a well known person within the Gainesville area who is well known for the food drives that he has. Although I am developing a mentorship program, we have a similar audience.
2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.
Market Expert
3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.
I actually contacted Pastor Duncan about 2 weeks ago because I was interested in helping out with his food drives. He was referred to me by Commissioner David Arreola when I told Comm. Arreola what I wanted to do while in Gainesville.
4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation?
This person helped me by giving me experience. I've always been relatively involved in the community, but this person taught me how to do it successfully. He will certainly help me with my endeavors for I helped him with his.
5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?
Being that this person is well connected, I also can get in contact with others with similar endeavors.
Rahkiah Brown
1) Who they are and what their background is.
Rahkiah is the woman in charge with Reading Pals, an organization with the goal of getting children in 1st-3rd grade to be on reading level.
2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.
Rahkiah is the supplier. Although her materials are generally for elementary schoolers, United Way is her parent company and this organization has the supplies for an effort like this.
3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.
I was an intern for Rahkiah last fall.
4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation?
This person has given me input to how to run the nonprofit successfully and has also given me supplies to do so as far as textbooks, people, and a place to work out of.
5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?
This person has done many favors for me and I will continue working for her in order to improve both of our organizations.
Reflect
This networking experience has been one of the more ambitious initiatives that I have been a part of. As opposed to the past, this one is more hands on. I will be building something from scratch and that will certainly be an experience .
Idea Napkin No. 2
1.
My name is Patrick.
There are a few important characteristics about me. I grew up in Gainesville and I have spent a lot of time getting to know the community that raised me. I went to a performing arts high school here in Gainesville and will forever be connected to the arts. I am also involved with local service initiatives such as creek cleanups associated with the Sierra Club, The Big Event hosted by student government, canvassing for local elections, and researching local initiatives. Community service is something that I am endlessly passionate about. That is why I would like to bring this nonprofit to fruition. Because I strive to help people.
If I were to start this mentorship nonprofit, there is no doubt that it would take over my life.
Grassroot organizing alone is a job that requires 70 hours a week if you want to do it well. Starting a nonprofit requires a team of people who are just as passionate as I am about the subject.
2. This product is a mentorship program. You apply to the mentorship program and if you describe your specific need for the program and a hunger to learn, you will be accepted. Although this nonprofit strives to improve the conditions of those living in low income areas, we will not disqualify someone from being a mentee based on their income or age. With the help of volunteers, I will help the people seeking mentorship be able to navigate their life easier, see opportunities previously invisible, and learn more about the subject that the mentee is interested in.
3. My audience has one thing in common: A desire to change. Whether it be change habits, their living condition, or public perception, they have this desire. As long as the applicant seems like they want to change, we will accept them. We will effectively advertise this opportunity to those living in low income conditions and also give periodic open houses for the nonprofit so we can gain a level of legitimacy.
4. A lot of people have the feeling that they are missing out on something very important in life and that is why people care. A lot of people want to be able lodge themselves out of a living condition that they are in and this mentorship program gives people a vehicle for exactly this.
5. I have a network of people who care about the same things I do. I have been involved with the community for a long time, so as long as I get a variety of different volunteers from different fields, I will be able to pull this off. But it won't be easy. I will have to take notes from other similar mentorship programs. I will need to take note of what problems they faced the most.
I also have an unwavering desire to help people. Therefore, when I have an idea to do so, I run with it. I just need space, people, loans, donations, advertisement, materials, and experience.
That doesn't seem so bad.
Feedback memo:
I had one comment on my last idea napkin and this comment told me to delve into more detail as far as how I will pull this off. I am still vague in this section, for I am trying to figure out specific logisitcs. But I did go into more detail as far as what qualifies me to do this and who I am seeking.
Friday, March 15, 2019
New and improved elevator pitch
New and improved elevator pitch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSe3sC41LWw&list=UUkjN2QfmBOY9qjRf4uKx_Hw
Here is my pitch. In my first pitch, I wasn't terribly dynamic. I wasn't even standing up. In this new pitch, I am a completely different person. I am standing up and seem excited about the topic. I talked about myself. I told the audience MY experience in Gainesville and why this experience encouraged me to start this elevator pitch.
I hope y'all enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSe3sC41LWw&list=UUkjN2QfmBOY9qjRf4uKx_Hw
Here is my pitch. In my first pitch, I wasn't terribly dynamic. I wasn't even standing up. In this new pitch, I am a completely different person. I am standing up and seem excited about the topic. I talked about myself. I told the audience MY experience in Gainesville and why this experience encouraged me to start this elevator pitch.
I hope y'all enjoy
Angel
Angel is bright. He only got one question wrong on his calculus exam. But he's struggling in his other classes because he doesn't care. He's smart, but he's only really known a modest life, so he didn't think his education would be worth it.
Angel is an ideal customer because my mentorship program would love to motivate minors to go down the right path. It is easier to alter the path of a minor than completely uproot the path of a middle aged person. Although the mentorship program would hopefully help many people, this is just one example of an ideal customer.
Although me and Angel differ in many ways, there are also parallels. Although I did okay in school, I didn't really feel like it was worth it, so I didn't give my all in my classes. I also grew up in a household with not much money. Which means that I am now paying for my education, housing, phone bill, internet, utilities, and food out of pocket. I want to be able to show people alternatives to this kind of lifestyle.
Friday, March 1, 2019
Know Thyself
The following are qualities that help me stand out
1. I put my values first. I sincerely care about service.n
2. I desire human connection. Even in my professional life, I try to seem as human as possible while simultaneously keeping my professional and personal life separate.
3. I know how to calm myself down. I play guitar. I don't often broadcast my ability because in a lot of ways it is something for me. I play for stability.
4. I have drive. I always have drive to do whatever I believe will leave the most impact.
5. I am a realist. I know what CAN be done and thus I do what is feasible while also being ambitious.
Here are the audio recordings of the people I interviewed:
https://soundcloud.com/patrick-gilmartin-1/home/s-qvAd1
https://soundcloud.com/patrick-gilmartin-1/adelyn/s-uOM4L
https://soundcloud.com/patrick-gilmartin-1/geraldo/s-rzKiP
https://soundcloud.com/patrick-gilmartin-1/cory-1/s-SSn0g
https://soundcloud.com/patrick-gilmartin-1/morris/s-GjCSE
It was nice conducting these interviews because I was able to see what people saw in me. I can now give a more realistic approach to how to explain myself and how to pitch myself to others. I wouldn't change anything about the list but I would probably expand more on what others think is important such as empathy and my ability to talk to others.
1. I put my values first. I sincerely care about service.n
2. I desire human connection. Even in my professional life, I try to seem as human as possible while simultaneously keeping my professional and personal life separate.
3. I know how to calm myself down. I play guitar. I don't often broadcast my ability because in a lot of ways it is something for me. I play for stability.
4. I have drive. I always have drive to do whatever I believe will leave the most impact.
5. I am a realist. I know what CAN be done and thus I do what is feasible while also being ambitious.
Here are the audio recordings of the people I interviewed:
https://soundcloud.com/patrick-gilmartin-1/home/s-qvAd1
https://soundcloud.com/patrick-gilmartin-1/adelyn/s-uOM4L
https://soundcloud.com/patrick-gilmartin-1/geraldo/s-rzKiP
https://soundcloud.com/patrick-gilmartin-1/cory-1/s-SSn0g
https://soundcloud.com/patrick-gilmartin-1/morris/s-GjCSE
It was nice conducting these interviews because I was able to see what people saw in me. I can now give a more realistic approach to how to explain myself and how to pitch myself to others. I wouldn't change anything about the list but I would probably expand more on what others think is important such as empathy and my ability to talk to others.
Evaluating How Your Customers Evaluate Stuff
Being that I am not terribly close to anybody within the foster care system, I had to really look for people who have been part of the foster care system. I had to email the following people because none of them were available for in person interviews.
1. Lydia Joyner: I had the pleasure of speaking with Lydia Joyner. I had not heard of her until my friend from the Sierra Club introduced me to her. She is apparently now an activist, writer, and filmmaker and shown on a few documentaries. If you search her name on YouTube, you will find her!
"I had to change my name several times while I was in the foster care system. That is just one brief example of the instability and anxiety that arises when one is in foster care. I had to try to blend in wherever I went. I had to try to live like others, putting myself in their skin in order to act like a "regular person". I would watch movies. Not only were they my escape. That's where I learned my values and how to live. In foster care, I was taught that I was destined to be homeless, do drugs, or go to jail. But now I try to help others by telling everyone my story. So I have been trying to spread my story and give others an opportunity to share theirs through my program "My sky is falling". It is a way for humans to get a human connection. To share their story."
2. James Freight: James isn't in the spotlight like Lydia is. He is however a person who wrote in his local newspaper in a small town in Indiana and talked about his experience in the foster care.
"My sister was in foster care with me. She was the smart one. She got me through all of the hardships. But the system failed her. I was fortunately able to find stability later in life, but she wasn't able to live life later on. The system is what broke her and be around people who would ultimately destroy her."
3. Keisha Landry: Keisha is my age and just got out of the foster system.
"I am honestly surprised I found my way out. It was because of a local mentorship program that was offered to me. I was taught about the importance of organization and forward thinking. The foster care system was a major set back but I believe I am finding my way out of it. I am now enrolling at Phoenix online while working full time as a waitress. I'm seriously finding my way."
The people I interviewed were all pretty confused about the third question, but Lydia and James said they are more willing to buy products in a store and Keisha is more willing to buy a product online. All of them usually use cards on any kind of purchase. They weren't any more clear about their purchasing habits than that. But I believe my product should be an in person product. A mentorship program needs human connection.
Friday, February 22, 2019
Tenacity & Paying It Forward
Being that this is a subject that is very important to me, I am going to be very real with everyone.
When it comes down to it, a lot of times I struggle to be tenacious. I get distracted very easily, have trouble maintaining motivation, and have in the past indulged in bad health habits because it felt easy to destroy myself. Because I have resorted to these bad habits several times, at times I feel it is hard to be hungry.
In order to keep up with the requirements of this course, I had to change my routine. I had to make time in my day to write about whatever subject Chris Pryor thinks is important. This meant trying to enjoy whatever it was that I was writing. Because writing takes time and I needed to make this something that I could use therapeutically. After having a long week, I would just write about whatever was on my mind, in a way that it matched the criteria of the assignment.
There have been several experiences that have tested my tenacity. Not getting into the honors program, not getting into several student organizations, breaking up with girlfriends, and losing friends are all experiences that have tested me. But something that tests me daily is an inability to get up from my bed. People call it depression, but I don't think it is. There is a mental block. It makes me sad and it makes me not want to get up. But it also feels like something I can get past without taking any sort of medication. I call it a barrier. A barrier that has been very hard to conquer. And although I haven't conquered it completely, I have been able to rise above it several times. And I believe I will rise above it sometime in the future.
The following are very simple behaviors that have helped me not fall off the wagon completely any time I feel myself wanting to retreat to old ways:
#1 - Be present
I must emphasize that these are very simple behaviors to not fall down completely. All of times you just need to be present. If you care a lot about an organization, go to ALL the meetings. Even the ones that don't matter too much. You never know what will happen at these meetings. If people see you a recognize you, they will remember you. You will find yourself being involved in even greater activities that you wouldn't have known about if you had stayed in. DON'T stay in. Every once and a while, it is necessary.
But I constantly need to remind myself to go outside, even if I don't feel comfortable going outside.
#2 - Have at least ONE method of organization
I understand that everyone highlights the importance of planners, without also talking about how most people aren't able to keep planners. If you are anything like me, you will stop writing in a planner after a few days. This is why I have a dry erase calendar on my wall. The calendar constantly reminds me that I need to update it, or amend it.
Simply looking at the calendar motivates me to stop sitting around. Simply looking at the calendar motivates me to be tenacious.
#3 - Understand your values
This year, I am a member of the Heavener Leadership Challenge. This is an organization associated with the business school that teaches you how to become a leader. This organization constantly reminds me to assess my values. It has given me an opportunity to stare closely at these values and gave me a chance to rate them in terms of importance.
The qualities I value most in a person are Honesty, Altruism, Humor, Respect, and Wisdom. What are yours?
These three things keep me tenacious. You are probably not exactly like me, so the things that keep you tenacious will probably be different, and you probably have a good idea of what those things are. But at least consider these points.
When it comes down to it, a lot of times I struggle to be tenacious. I get distracted very easily, have trouble maintaining motivation, and have in the past indulged in bad health habits because it felt easy to destroy myself. Because I have resorted to these bad habits several times, at times I feel it is hard to be hungry.
In order to keep up with the requirements of this course, I had to change my routine. I had to make time in my day to write about whatever subject Chris Pryor thinks is important. This meant trying to enjoy whatever it was that I was writing. Because writing takes time and I needed to make this something that I could use therapeutically. After having a long week, I would just write about whatever was on my mind, in a way that it matched the criteria of the assignment.
There have been several experiences that have tested my tenacity. Not getting into the honors program, not getting into several student organizations, breaking up with girlfriends, and losing friends are all experiences that have tested me. But something that tests me daily is an inability to get up from my bed. People call it depression, but I don't think it is. There is a mental block. It makes me sad and it makes me not want to get up. But it also feels like something I can get past without taking any sort of medication. I call it a barrier. A barrier that has been very hard to conquer. And although I haven't conquered it completely, I have been able to rise above it several times. And I believe I will rise above it sometime in the future.
The following are very simple behaviors that have helped me not fall off the wagon completely any time I feel myself wanting to retreat to old ways:
#1 - Be present
I must emphasize that these are very simple behaviors to not fall down completely. All of times you just need to be present. If you care a lot about an organization, go to ALL the meetings. Even the ones that don't matter too much. You never know what will happen at these meetings. If people see you a recognize you, they will remember you. You will find yourself being involved in even greater activities that you wouldn't have known about if you had stayed in. DON'T stay in. Every once and a while, it is necessary.
But I constantly need to remind myself to go outside, even if I don't feel comfortable going outside.
#2 - Have at least ONE method of organization
I understand that everyone highlights the importance of planners, without also talking about how most people aren't able to keep planners. If you are anything like me, you will stop writing in a planner after a few days. This is why I have a dry erase calendar on my wall. The calendar constantly reminds me that I need to update it, or amend it.
Simply looking at the calendar motivates me to stop sitting around. Simply looking at the calendar motivates me to be tenacious.
#3 - Understand your values
This year, I am a member of the Heavener Leadership Challenge. This is an organization associated with the business school that teaches you how to become a leader. This organization constantly reminds me to assess my values. It has given me an opportunity to stare closely at these values and gave me a chance to rate them in terms of importance.
The qualities I value most in a person are Honesty, Altruism, Humor, Respect, and Wisdom. What are yours?
These three things keep me tenacious. You are probably not exactly like me, so the things that keep you tenacious will probably be different, and you probably have a good idea of what those things are. But at least consider these points.
13a Reading Reflection No. 1
Reading Reflection
Book Title: Andrew Carnegie, David Nasaw
Andrew Carnegie was a chameleon. That is what stood out to me the most after reading this book. Carnegie could blend in anywhere, even at the age of 24, when he wore a tall hat and thin beard to cover the fact that he was short and so young. He was also sharp and knew where the market was.
It's easy to get mad at Andrew Carnegie for modern problems. It is easy to be mad at his early efforts in oil drilling because oil isn't a renewable resource, but the fact is that nobody back then had any idea that drilling oil would lead to the negative impacts known today. One thing that you CAN be mad at Andrew Carnegie for doing is being a distrustful tycoon, especially early in his career. He sold off a large family fortune without telling anyone, took advantage of immature shareholders, and even printed unauthorized share certificates that paid him huge dividends. He was a snake, and one could argue that in the business that he was in, you had to be.
Others would argue that you must have your values in sight when you are an entrepreneur. Late in his life, Carnegie did. I respect Andrew Carnegie the most for his philanthropy late in life. His endowments to libraries and scientific research furthered human progress substantially.
Although I am a finance student, some of the Wall Street lingo was at times hard to comprehend, simply because it is a complicated topic. It is also a subject that has changed substantially since Andrew Carnegie's time. As corny as it sounds, if I were to ask Carnegie one question, I would ask if the money made him any happier. It must be like a drug to have all that money and power. But did it fulfill him? Did it make him any more content?
I believe Andrew Carnegie had strong feelings toward the subject of hard work. I bet he believed everyone should dust themselves off. I believe this to a certain extent. I believe you must do something that you would care about talking about. And I believe after that, it will be easy to succeed.
Book Title: Andrew Carnegie, David Nasaw
Andrew Carnegie was a chameleon. That is what stood out to me the most after reading this book. Carnegie could blend in anywhere, even at the age of 24, when he wore a tall hat and thin beard to cover the fact that he was short and so young. He was also sharp and knew where the market was.
It's easy to get mad at Andrew Carnegie for modern problems. It is easy to be mad at his early efforts in oil drilling because oil isn't a renewable resource, but the fact is that nobody back then had any idea that drilling oil would lead to the negative impacts known today. One thing that you CAN be mad at Andrew Carnegie for doing is being a distrustful tycoon, especially early in his career. He sold off a large family fortune without telling anyone, took advantage of immature shareholders, and even printed unauthorized share certificates that paid him huge dividends. He was a snake, and one could argue that in the business that he was in, you had to be.
Others would argue that you must have your values in sight when you are an entrepreneur. Late in his life, Carnegie did. I respect Andrew Carnegie the most for his philanthropy late in life. His endowments to libraries and scientific research furthered human progress substantially.
Although I am a finance student, some of the Wall Street lingo was at times hard to comprehend, simply because it is a complicated topic. It is also a subject that has changed substantially since Andrew Carnegie's time. As corny as it sounds, if I were to ask Carnegie one question, I would ask if the money made him any happier. It must be like a drug to have all that money and power. But did it fulfill him? Did it make him any more content?
I believe Andrew Carnegie had strong feelings toward the subject of hard work. I bet he believed everyone should dust themselves off. I believe this to a certain extent. I believe you must do something that you would care about talking about. And I believe after that, it will be easy to succeed.
Friday, February 15, 2019
Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1
Segment: Those in the foster care system
Interviews:
Anon 1: This person talked about how they were taken away by child services and its impact on them. They caused a lot of trouble and when they were a kid they thought it was normal to go from family to family, but as he grew up he realized it was simply a disservice that these people were doing to him, as if they were shopping for children. This person was unable to focus in school because of the foster care system.
Anon 2: This person found a good family through the foster care system but admits that they were 1 in a million.
Anon 3: This person also never really found a family they could call their own. They don't keep in contact with their foster family now. This person is someone who was homeless for approximately 4 years and now lives in lower income housing.
What I learned:
I only knew two people who were in the foster care system so I had to search for the third one. But the people who had to go through the system admitted that they system is screwed and could use some funding especially the local branch.
Now I know about a small segment of those affected. I will do more research to learn more about different groups affected because there are a lot of people impacted by this specific problem.
Interviews:
Anon 1: This person talked about how they were taken away by child services and its impact on them. They caused a lot of trouble and when they were a kid they thought it was normal to go from family to family, but as he grew up he realized it was simply a disservice that these people were doing to him, as if they were shopping for children. This person was unable to focus in school because of the foster care system.
Anon 2: This person found a good family through the foster care system but admits that they were 1 in a million.
Anon 3: This person also never really found a family they could call their own. They don't keep in contact with their foster family now. This person is someone who was homeless for approximately 4 years and now lives in lower income housing.
What I learned:
I only knew two people who were in the foster care system so I had to search for the third one. But the people who had to go through the system admitted that they system is screwed and could use some funding especially the local branch.
Now I know about a small segment of those affected. I will do more research to learn more about different groups affected because there are a lot of people impacted by this specific problem.
Idea Napkin no. 1
Piecing it all together
1. My name is Patrick Gilmartin. I am an averagely ambitious dude who is kind of good at a lot of things. I can juggle okay. I am a manager at a decent restaurant. I have some knowledge of things and I do things pretty regularly. I keep a calendar that I add to every now and then and when I die, I won't be remembered.
I want to help people. That is my main aspiration. I was born with a supporting family, went to school with good friends and teachers, and I just want to give back.
2. I will be offering my customer a mentoring program. This way they will be able to find stability.
3. My customers are people with less than I have. They are people who would like more in this world.
4. There is a whole lot to this world and many people aren't able to enjoy the beauty because they lack the necessary care whether it be attention to their mental needs, fiscal needs, or health needs.
5. I am nice.
Also, I am willing to commit my time to this. I want to dedicate as much time into this subject as I can and accomplish my civic duty.
One aspect of my business concept is that it is a nonprofit. Often nonprofits fail because although there are a lot of good people out there, people have to deal with not always making a big difference with substantial effort. It is also a very big problem that I am trying to solve and it will take more than just me to solve it.
1. My name is Patrick Gilmartin. I am an averagely ambitious dude who is kind of good at a lot of things. I can juggle okay. I am a manager at a decent restaurant. I have some knowledge of things and I do things pretty regularly. I keep a calendar that I add to every now and then and when I die, I won't be remembered.
I want to help people. That is my main aspiration. I was born with a supporting family, went to school with good friends and teachers, and I just want to give back.
2. I will be offering my customer a mentoring program. This way they will be able to find stability.
3. My customers are people with less than I have. They are people who would like more in this world.
4. There is a whole lot to this world and many people aren't able to enjoy the beauty because they lack the necessary care whether it be attention to their mental needs, fiscal needs, or health needs.
5. I am nice.
Also, I am willing to commit my time to this. I want to dedicate as much time into this subject as I can and accomplish my civic duty.
One aspect of my business concept is that it is a nonprofit. Often nonprofits fail because although there are a lot of good people out there, people have to deal with not always making a big difference with substantial effort. It is also a very big problem that I am trying to solve and it will take more than just me to solve it.
Friday, February 8, 2019
Elevator Pitch No. 1
Hi there. This video was too large to upload so I left the link to the video. I hope you enjoy my elevator pitch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD64bSmwA5M&feature=youtu.be
Continuing Your Opportunity Research
Continuing Your Opportunity Research
.
Interviews:
Interview 1: I interviewed a coworker of mine who feels that they are in a stable situation. They aren't plagued by any drug problem. They don't get a lot of pay, but they live in a stable situation and that's "all that they could ask for". This person didn't have the most stable upbringing, but they joined a mentorship program at GHS and found someone they really admired. This person didn't go to college, but are currently as happy as ever.
Interview 2: I interviewed a teacher that I had at PK Yonge. Although they didn't grow up on the East side of town, they grew up in Hawthorne, in a low income household and went to a D rated school. This teacher graduated 2nd in his class, went to UF and now has a stable life. I asked him how and he said his peers had a bigger influence on him than his family. Although he didn't go to the best school, he found a niche group that wanted to succeed.
Interview 3: I interviewed my girlfriend. Although she grew up in a low income household under not the best conditions, her mom brought her up well. Although she admits that her mom and her don't have the best relationship at the moment, her mom put in the time.
Interview 4: I was actually born on the East side of town, so I interviewed my dad. When I was born, he and my mom were both out of a job and surviving off of food stamps and trying to raise two boys (and a soon to be newborn girl). I asked how he got through. He said he never really felt like he lived in an unfortunate circumstance. He lived in a trailer all his life and moved around constantly. So he just studied his way through UF when I was born and got himself a job at GRU.
Interview 5: I interviewed my supervisor at Reading Pals. She said she got through high school because of a mentorship program. Because of this, she decided to work for a mentorship program herself.
Inside the boundary
The who: Citizens of Gainesville, Florida
The what: face one of the biggest recorded income disparity rankings in the United States
The why: Gainesville is a small city with a large university. On top of that, UF does very little to combat the disparities those in the city face.
Outside the boundary
Who is Not: Those born in a middle class household or with a proper support system don't fall into this bracket. But Some people are set up from failure at birth. There are some schools within the city of Gainesville that aren't set up with the proper resources or staff to give students a proper start. If people are born in low income areas, often they need a proper upbringing or mentor. A lot of kids in Gainesville haven't seen anything west of 13th street.
What the need is not: This opportunity is an opportunity for mentorship. Our mission isn't solving the other problems faced within the community such as the food deserts or revamping low income houses. This program is for teaching people to fish.
Why: It's simple. Those who have already had good influences but were born under poor conditions are more able to succeed. Just the understanding that things could be different changes everything.
Friday, February 1, 2019
The Second-Most Important Part of Entrepreneurship
Problem:
The wealth disparity in Gainesville, Florida is huge compared to other cities in the United States. We have found that a big reason for this is that Gainesville is a small city with a big University.
Opportunity:
I would like to propose a potential solution to lessen the gap.
Potential Solution:
When it comes down to it, there ain't much I can do as an individual to change the University of Florida's contribution habits. Other than lobbying and joining DIVEST, it would be hard to come up with a service to encourage the university to contribute more to the city and improve wealth disparities.
This means that I will have to approach this from a different perspective. This is obviously moving in the direction of nonprofit. Nonprofits have developed all over Gainesville specifically for this purpose. How will mine be different? I will need to creatively allocate my funds in smart ways because nonprofits are not money machines. But lets start simple and broad. What will my nonprofit do?
My nonprofit's mission: To provide mentorship to Gainesville's bottom 20%. The Heavener School of Business has CAP mentors, who help students draft resumes in the proper ways, and find internships as well as potential employers. This nonprofit will do the same thing to the struggling community in Gainesville.
How we will keep the lights on: Without grants, this nonprofit will fail. It is a nonprofit, after all.
A nonprofit might be outside of the rules of this assignment. I'm sticking with it though because when I'm older, I hope to help those who need it for living.
The wealth disparity in Gainesville, Florida is huge compared to other cities in the United States. We have found that a big reason for this is that Gainesville is a small city with a big University.
Opportunity:
I would like to propose a potential solution to lessen the gap.
Potential Solution:
When it comes down to it, there ain't much I can do as an individual to change the University of Florida's contribution habits. Other than lobbying and joining DIVEST, it would be hard to come up with a service to encourage the university to contribute more to the city and improve wealth disparities.
This means that I will have to approach this from a different perspective. This is obviously moving in the direction of nonprofit. Nonprofits have developed all over Gainesville specifically for this purpose. How will mine be different? I will need to creatively allocate my funds in smart ways because nonprofits are not money machines. But lets start simple and broad. What will my nonprofit do?
My nonprofit's mission: To provide mentorship to Gainesville's bottom 20%. The Heavener School of Business has CAP mentors, who help students draft resumes in the proper ways, and find internships as well as potential employers. This nonprofit will do the same thing to the struggling community in Gainesville.
How we will keep the lights on: Without grants, this nonprofit will fail. It is a nonprofit, after all.
A nonprofit might be outside of the rules of this assignment. I'm sticking with it though because when I'm older, I hope to help those who need it for living.
You Have An Opportunity, Now What?
1.
Opportunity: The wealth gap in Florida is the 5th largest in the United States according to CNBS and Gainesville has also ranked nationally in wealth disparity, according to 25/7 Wall St and Richard Florida's book "The New Urban Crisis".
The opportunity is to lower the gap between high income and lower income households in Gainesville, Florida.
2.
The who: Citizens of Gainesville, Florida
The what: face one of the biggest recorded income disparity rankings in the United States
The why: Gainesville is a small city with a large university. On top of that, UF does very little to combat the disparities those in the city face.
3.
Testing the who: There are definitely others that fit my need, even when it comes down to specifically why they have this need. Universities that drain the city of funding and resources is a nationally recognized problem, but it is rather taboo to bring it up because it is generally agreed that universities should be well funded and have the ability to receive tax breaks. But many towns around America experience this issue.
Testing the what: Not all citizens are negatively impacted by the wealth disparity. However, Gainesville's poorest 20% generate less that 2% of the region's income. The bottom 20% will be the population I will be focusing on.
Testing the why: The University has made strides when it comes to medical research. Once someone needs medical attention, UF is good at providing. But when it comes to helping those who need it most, UF hasn't been contributing. Don't get me wrong, the city could also be putting in more work. More needs to be done to fund homeless shelters and programs for those in a state of poverty. So UF is a large reason, but not the only reason.
4.
Interview 1:
I interviewed a fellow student who grew up in a low-income household. They agreed that UF should do more for the city of Gainesville, because the city is trying to lower the income gap. The student says that they are not paying for their education because they got scholarships not associated with the University, so they would be relatively unaffected if UF allocated more of its money to support Gainesville.
Interview 2:
I interviewed a professor. The professor that I interviewed seemed relatively moved by what I had to say, but also said that the agreements have been in place, so those in administrative positions at UF don't want to break too many precedents to pay more money to the city.
Interview 3:
I interviewed my father who has been in Gainesville since the early 90s. He says that he's noticed not only an increase in disparity, but also an increase in those who are unemotional about the disparity. The city has kicked all of the homeless out of Bo Didley and neighborhoods are becoming more and more segregated.
Interview 4:
I interviewed another student who disagrees with my position. They say that Gainesville gets too much money from GRU and doesn't use it to their advantage. This student says that real economic change will come from the free market rather than be government led.
Interview 5:
I interviewed one of my high school teachers. They have noticed a slight improvement in the way that at least the secondary education system aids in income inequality. Alachua County schools are now giving free lunch to everybody, regardless of income.
Most people generally agreed that this was a problem. It is hard to argue against that. Most of the disagreements came with how to solve the problem- which is the difference between Sociology and Political Science- Sociology identifies the problems and Political Science solves those problems from different positions.
5.
Now I know that there are several ways to approach this problem. Also the University attributes to the problem, many other Gainesville organizations and facilities also don't do much to combat the problem.
Opportunity: The wealth gap in Florida is the 5th largest in the United States according to CNBS and Gainesville has also ranked nationally in wealth disparity, according to 25/7 Wall St and Richard Florida's book "The New Urban Crisis".
The opportunity is to lower the gap between high income and lower income households in Gainesville, Florida.
2.
The who: Citizens of Gainesville, Florida
The what: face one of the biggest recorded income disparity rankings in the United States
The why: Gainesville is a small city with a large university. On top of that, UF does very little to combat the disparities those in the city face.
3.
Testing the who: There are definitely others that fit my need, even when it comes down to specifically why they have this need. Universities that drain the city of funding and resources is a nationally recognized problem, but it is rather taboo to bring it up because it is generally agreed that universities should be well funded and have the ability to receive tax breaks. But many towns around America experience this issue.
Testing the what: Not all citizens are negatively impacted by the wealth disparity. However, Gainesville's poorest 20% generate less that 2% of the region's income. The bottom 20% will be the population I will be focusing on.
Testing the why: The University has made strides when it comes to medical research. Once someone needs medical attention, UF is good at providing. But when it comes to helping those who need it most, UF hasn't been contributing. Don't get me wrong, the city could also be putting in more work. More needs to be done to fund homeless shelters and programs for those in a state of poverty. So UF is a large reason, but not the only reason.
4.
Interview 1:
I interviewed a fellow student who grew up in a low-income household. They agreed that UF should do more for the city of Gainesville, because the city is trying to lower the income gap. The student says that they are not paying for their education because they got scholarships not associated with the University, so they would be relatively unaffected if UF allocated more of its money to support Gainesville.
Interview 2:
I interviewed a professor. The professor that I interviewed seemed relatively moved by what I had to say, but also said that the agreements have been in place, so those in administrative positions at UF don't want to break too many precedents to pay more money to the city.
Interview 3:
I interviewed my father who has been in Gainesville since the early 90s. He says that he's noticed not only an increase in disparity, but also an increase in those who are unemotional about the disparity. The city has kicked all of the homeless out of Bo Didley and neighborhoods are becoming more and more segregated.
Interview 4:
I interviewed another student who disagrees with my position. They say that Gainesville gets too much money from GRU and doesn't use it to their advantage. This student says that real economic change will come from the free market rather than be government led.
Interview 5:
I interviewed one of my high school teachers. They have noticed a slight improvement in the way that at least the secondary education system aids in income inequality. Alachua County schools are now giving free lunch to everybody, regardless of income.
Most people generally agreed that this was a problem. It is hard to argue against that. Most of the disagreements came with how to solve the problem- which is the difference between Sociology and Political Science- Sociology identifies the problems and Political Science solves those problems from different positions.
5.
Now I know that there are several ways to approach this problem. Also the University attributes to the problem, many other Gainesville organizations and facilities also don't do much to combat the problem.
Friday, January 25, 2019
Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends
Regulatory Changes
1. Plastic bag ban
a. https://www.gainesville.com/news/20181206/city-closer-to-styrofoam-plastic-bag-ban
b. There are always hidden opportunities within subjects relating to sustainability. Being that Gainesville is about to ban plastic and Styrofoam, companies that make compostable materials or resusable bags for example, can find a market in Gainesville.
c. The restaurants and local businesses here in Gainesville must comply with these changes or they will be subjected to a fine. This means they must look to other places for their products.
d. This opportunity may be harder to exploit at first, being that environmentalism is often an investment. For example, the owner of Mi Apá has already transitioned to paper boxes and has told the public that although they are paying more, they believe they are ultimately making a big step.
I see this opportunity because I am interested in sustainability. I understand that there is a lot to invest in the subject.
2. Minimum age to buy tobacco shifts to 21
a. https://www.wcjb.com/content/news/Alachua-becomes-first-county-in-Florida-to-raise-tobacco-buying-age--504747271.html
b. The opportunity here is more broad and corny. I would say that now people have more of an opportunity to live life, being that they won't be hooked on tobacco at a young age. A more cynical opportunity is the tobacco outlets and gas stations right outside of Alachua County now have an opportunity to exploit those under 21 within the county. Some business will travel to them because there are kids desperate enough to get their fix within this county.
c. Everyone under the age of 21 must comply to this ordinance. Being that this is a college town, this is a big chunk of the population.
d. It will be easier for kids to exploit their life opportunity. It will also be easy for businesses outside of the county to exploit their opportunity being that they will have to do nothing and will automatically get more business.
This is another opportunity that impacts people I know who are smokers. I know people who may stop their tobacco use, or may travel to another county to get their fix.
Economic trends
1. Solar Energy
a. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/061115/economics-solar-power.asp
b. Local businesses, corporations, households, and any place that relies on electricity for their day to day operations now have an opportunity. Especially in Gainesville. Solar Impact is a local company that installs PV for private and public entities alike. They have helped Gainesville become a "world leader" in solar power.
c. Large corporations may start seeing how much environmental concerns are shifting the way people consume. If they add PV cells to their buildings, corporations may be declared environmentally aware and more customers would walk their way.
4. It will be hard for those living in low income households to take advantage of this. If consumption is high in a certain home, the first priority should be to reduce consumption, because solar power won't fix the financial problems associated with overconsumption.
This is an opportunity that many people talk about these days. Solar energy is a cool new technology that America hasn't yet taken full advantage of.
2. Dab Pens
a. https://www.inc.com/will-yakowicz/open-vape-cannabis-oil-vaporizer-national-brand.html
b. I personally don't enjoy the effects of marijuana, but as recreational cannabis is becoming legal in a variety of different states, vape pens are becoming all the rage.
c. This is what smoke shops should be investing in. If they haven't already, they are missing out on an opportunity.
d. It is hard for shops in states where recreational marijuana use is illegal to take full advantage of this opportunity. It is especially hard for states neighboring states such as Washington or Colorado, who have completely legalized the use of cannabis, to take advantage of this opportunity. Shops in states that haven't yet legalized recreational weed will receive slack from the government for making pens that can be easily rigged.
This opportunity is prevalent in my local community as it abroad. I see this as an opportunity because I have friends with dab pens and I understand that a lot of people own these machines these days.
1. Plastic bag ban
a. https://www.gainesville.com/news/20181206/city-closer-to-styrofoam-plastic-bag-ban
b. There are always hidden opportunities within subjects relating to sustainability. Being that Gainesville is about to ban plastic and Styrofoam, companies that make compostable materials or resusable bags for example, can find a market in Gainesville.
c. The restaurants and local businesses here in Gainesville must comply with these changes or they will be subjected to a fine. This means they must look to other places for their products.
d. This opportunity may be harder to exploit at first, being that environmentalism is often an investment. For example, the owner of Mi Apá has already transitioned to paper boxes and has told the public that although they are paying more, they believe they are ultimately making a big step.
I see this opportunity because I am interested in sustainability. I understand that there is a lot to invest in the subject.
2. Minimum age to buy tobacco shifts to 21
a. https://www.wcjb.com/content/news/Alachua-becomes-first-county-in-Florida-to-raise-tobacco-buying-age--504747271.html
b. The opportunity here is more broad and corny. I would say that now people have more of an opportunity to live life, being that they won't be hooked on tobacco at a young age. A more cynical opportunity is the tobacco outlets and gas stations right outside of Alachua County now have an opportunity to exploit those under 21 within the county. Some business will travel to them because there are kids desperate enough to get their fix within this county.
c. Everyone under the age of 21 must comply to this ordinance. Being that this is a college town, this is a big chunk of the population.
d. It will be easier for kids to exploit their life opportunity. It will also be easy for businesses outside of the county to exploit their opportunity being that they will have to do nothing and will automatically get more business.
This is another opportunity that impacts people I know who are smokers. I know people who may stop their tobacco use, or may travel to another county to get their fix.
Economic trends
1. Solar Energy
a. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/061115/economics-solar-power.asp
b. Local businesses, corporations, households, and any place that relies on electricity for their day to day operations now have an opportunity. Especially in Gainesville. Solar Impact is a local company that installs PV for private and public entities alike. They have helped Gainesville become a "world leader" in solar power.
c. Large corporations may start seeing how much environmental concerns are shifting the way people consume. If they add PV cells to their buildings, corporations may be declared environmentally aware and more customers would walk their way.
4. It will be hard for those living in low income households to take advantage of this. If consumption is high in a certain home, the first priority should be to reduce consumption, because solar power won't fix the financial problems associated with overconsumption.
This is an opportunity that many people talk about these days. Solar energy is a cool new technology that America hasn't yet taken full advantage of.
2. Dab Pens
a. https://www.inc.com/will-yakowicz/open-vape-cannabis-oil-vaporizer-national-brand.html
b. I personally don't enjoy the effects of marijuana, but as recreational cannabis is becoming legal in a variety of different states, vape pens are becoming all the rage.
c. This is what smoke shops should be investing in. If they haven't already, they are missing out on an opportunity.
d. It is hard for shops in states where recreational marijuana use is illegal to take full advantage of this opportunity. It is especially hard for states neighboring states such as Washington or Colorado, who have completely legalized the use of cannabis, to take advantage of this opportunity. Shops in states that haven't yet legalized recreational weed will receive slack from the government for making pens that can be easily rigged.
This opportunity is prevalent in my local community as it abroad. I see this as an opportunity because I have friends with dab pens and I understand that a lot of people own these machines these days.
Identifying Local Opportunities
I, like many others, decided to support the local “Independent Florida Alligator” and look into the work of future journalists for this nation. I was pleasantly surprised to see many well written articles, some about the problems of the community and the nation; and others written with a more optimistic viewpoint.
1. Man and woman accused of stealing credit, social security cards-
Their bond is set at about $1.8 million each
https://www.alligator.org/news/man-and-woman-accused-of-stealing-credit-social-security-cards/article_fc3a597a-1f9a-11e9-9098-4facb819242a.html
Christopher Lee Grisby and Amber Marie Morreale made several mistakes before getting pulled over on January 23rd. They were not only in possession of many social security cards and credit cards. They were also in possession of crystal meth. They also had cannabis on hand, probably to take the edge off because committing crime is a stressful endeavor.
The problem seems obvious. A couple steals identities and they go to prison. And they DO deserve punishment. It’s rather unfortunate that Christopher Lee Grisby will likely get life in prison due to the 3 strikes law, and many people probably think it’s a justifiable life sentence. But maybe his school system failed him. Maybe he had terrible parents. Maybe a friend introduced crystal meth to him earlier in his life, and it had completely changed demeanor. There are many factors at play. Amber Marie Morreale only has one other prior conviction, so she may receive a lighter sentence. But she could also be the victim to a society that failed her.
Obviously the people Christopher stole identities from had a problem. Some of them may have been struggling financially and noticed that there card had been stolen too late. But Christopher and Amber also have problems. Sure, they may be bad people. But maybe not.
2. Youth vaping increases in Alachua County
Youth vaping has increased about 60 percent in two years.
https://www.alligator.org/news/youth-vaping-increases-in-alachua-county/article_91200192-1dd5-11e9-9850-bbdf28ac9a68.html
This article explains how more youth in our community are becoming exposed to nicotine. According to this article “15.1 percent of youth, from ages 11 to 17, use an electronic vape. In 2016, only 9.5 percent were using.” The article explains that JUUL accounts for most of the increase in usage.
We all knew it. I grew up in Alachua County and my sister is still in high school. When she explained to me that “everyone in her grade vapes”, I was astounded. She is in the 10th grade. Of course, I made my share of mistakes in 10th grade, but I had not dabbled with nicotine in that point. Nicotine was the one thing everybody everywhere agreed was terrible for you. Luckily, Alachua County agreed to ban nicotine products to those under 21.
The children of our community are the ones being affected by this. And they are the future. They are my generation and I must help them fight this epidemic.
3. This is not a debate’: 2019 Clean Energy Campaign kicks off
https://www.alligator.org/news/this-is-not-a-debate-clean-energy-campaign-kicks-off/article_075d8ac6-1923-11e9-8162-63ab7986a5ce.html
This article talks about how this super cool kid named Patrick Gilmartin presented his video explaining the Ready for 100 initiative which was a resolution passed by the city commission back in October. The video was the start to the 2019 clean energy and at the kickoff, several people explained the goals of 2019 including members of the UAB and members of the commission.
The problem here is an international problem. Are climate is collapsing. The ozone layer is being depleted and greenhouse gases are being emitted into the atmosphere at rates previously unknown to the human race.
So who is experiencing this problem. Well, you are. And so am I. And so is every single person on this planet. So everyone needs to pull their weight in order for us to get through this.
4. Ole Miss leads start to finish to down Gators
https://www.alligator.org/sports/ole-miss-leads-start-to-finish-to-down-gators/article_ce09b89a-1d13-11e9-b58c-4f97777c59af.html#tncms-source=article-nav-next
The Florida Women’s basketball team was behind against ole miss the entirety of the game. During the 2nd quarter, Florida was able to reduce the deficit to just 1 point. It was looking like a comeback, but Ole Miss just completely tore up Florida in the 3rd quarter.
This is a problem to the Florida Women’s basketball team. This is, for some reason, also a problem to the rest of the school. The rest of the school, including me, for some reason are full of pride when their team wins in any sport. A small sense of satisfaction trickles down our spines because for some reason when our team wins, we who had nothing to do with the outcome, also think we are winners.
This is a problem to the University of Florida. We are winners. We don’t lose.
5. The downside of online education at UF
https://www.alligator.org/opinion/the-downside-of-online-education-at-uf/article_f33e792c-1ec9-11e9-a56b-fb13062afcb9.html
This is an article that explains that although the University of Florida has a competitive online program nationally, it may not be as good as the faculty like to say it is. It explains that most of the Heavener classes (ENT3003 for example) are hybrid/completely online and this makes it tough for those work better in a traditional classroom setting.
The students, such as those in the PaCE program are affected by this. People are excited about being accepted into UF because they feel that the University will help them succeed. Not because they want to work on an online program.
Friday, January 18, 2019
Forming an Opportunity Belief
I believe that Gainesville can become 100% renewable energy by 2045 and I can help by doing research for GRU.
Many people do not share this belief with me. Many don't have faith in GRU as a utility provider. Their thoughts are that GRU has a monopoly as a utility source. If we convert to more renewable energy, rates would increase substantially, and more people would petition against GRU.
I decided to talk with a professor about this subject. This professor know a lot about the subject and could provide some insight.
His name is professor Wendell Porter. He believes that to achieve 100% renewable energy:
"We shouldn't rely on GRU as an energy source. We should also lower consumption as citizens. I am surprised about the number of people who leave lights on as they leave. Think of it as a three legged stool. One leg is consumption, one leg is solar, one leg is biomass. The biomass from the biomass plant will get 1/3 of the way there, solar will get us 1/3 of the way there, and lowering consumption will get us 1/3 of the way there."
The United States uses the most energy per capita. This reminded me that we can't rely on resolutions made by local governments to save the environment. We must also do our part. We must lower our own consumption. This transition will not be a comfortable one. It will be uncomfortable.
But it is necessary.
The opportunity is still there and I can help by doing the proper research. After talking to Wendell Porter, I now know that the step is a necessary one to take.
Many people do not share this belief with me. Many don't have faith in GRU as a utility provider. Their thoughts are that GRU has a monopoly as a utility source. If we convert to more renewable energy, rates would increase substantially, and more people would petition against GRU.
I decided to talk with a professor about this subject. This professor know a lot about the subject and could provide some insight.
His name is professor Wendell Porter. He believes that to achieve 100% renewable energy:
"We shouldn't rely on GRU as an energy source. We should also lower consumption as citizens. I am surprised about the number of people who leave lights on as they leave. Think of it as a three legged stool. One leg is consumption, one leg is solar, one leg is biomass. The biomass from the biomass plant will get 1/3 of the way there, solar will get us 1/3 of the way there, and lowering consumption will get us 1/3 of the way there."
The United States uses the most energy per capita. This reminded me that we can't rely on resolutions made by local governments to save the environment. We must also do our part. We must lower our own consumption. This transition will not be a comfortable one. It will be uncomfortable.
But it is necessary.
The opportunity is still there and I can help by doing the proper research. After talking to Wendell Porter, I now know that the step is a necessary one to take.
My Entrepreneurship Story
I was once an entrepreneur. Let me take you back.
To Catalyst 2018. It was the summer semester and me and the group I was in were asked to develop a product that would solve an environmental problem and thus make the world more biologically diverse. We developed SeaFeed.
SeaFeed is a cowfeed. But it's not just any other cowfeed. It is a cowfeed that includes Asparagopsis taxiformis, which eliminates up to 95% of methane produced by cattle. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and is destoying the ozone layer. This would be world changing. And my group helped develop it.
I joined ENT3003 because I want to learn how to get people's attention. I hope to one day be a good leader in whatever profession I choose and I believe this class will help me achieve this. It is also a part of my minor.
To Catalyst 2018. It was the summer semester and me and the group I was in were asked to develop a product that would solve an environmental problem and thus make the world more biologically diverse. We developed SeaFeed.
SeaFeed is a cowfeed. But it's not just any other cowfeed. It is a cowfeed that includes Asparagopsis taxiformis, which eliminates up to 95% of methane produced by cattle. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and is destoying the ozone layer. This would be world changing. And my group helped develop it.
I joined ENT3003 because I want to learn how to get people's attention. I hope to one day be a good leader in whatever profession I choose and I believe this class will help me achieve this. It is also a part of my minor.
Bug List
The following are the things that bug me most. Enjoy.
1. I don't like it when roommates, specifically the ones with black beards and the ones majoring in English, do not clean the leftover dishes, cups, food, and paper the kitchen, dining room, and living room after throwing a party.
Because the roommate, specifically the one with a black beard and the one majoring in English, refuses to clean up his stuff after his other roommates tell him to
2. One of my bugs is when people treat the environment poorly.
This happens because people often take for granted the spaces and areas around them.
3. I don't like it when people sweep their rugs with a broom. I don't like this because of the sound it makes.
This happens because people sweep their rugs with brooms.
4. I don't like it when anybody, anywhere, at anytime, makes grits. Grits are bad.
This happens because people make grits.
5. I don't like it when dudes with huge trucks make the exhaust blow smoke.
This happens because people like to attract attention from others.
6. I don't like it when my friends make fun of me when I eat grape nuts. It's a real cereal and is kind of good sometimes.
This happens because people have never eaten grape nuts and judge grape nuts before they have even tried it.
7. I don't like it when anybody buys beef ramen over any other ramen in this world.
This happens because people have never experimented outside of beef ramen by buying chicken ramen or literally any other ramen.
8. I don't like it when people sing "Friday" by Rebecca Black on Friday. This hasn't happened to me in a very long time, but it makes me mad the few times that it has happened to me lately. Anybody who sings Friday by Rebecca Black should have to face copyright infringement and thus monetarily have to pay the consequences.
This happens because people don't understand that jokes are supposed to be enjoyable.
9. I don't like when angsty teens do things ironically. Enough said.
This happens because angsty teens don't know if what they are about to say is funny or not so they say "I'm doing or saying this ironically" to mask the fact that they actually don't know how to form a joke.
10. I don't like when people buy me candy sushi as a present because I work at a sushi restaurant.
People do this because they think no one has ever done it before and fail to realize that every other person has done this to me.
11. I don't like it when the Cha Cha Slide is played at lame parties and everybody pretends to be surprised.
The Cha Cha Slide is played at every failing party. We all understand that the Cha Cha Slide will be played at a lame party the moment we step into the party. But then people pretend like they are surprised and then they pretend to reluctantly start doing the Cha Cha Slide because they don't want others to know that they were uncomfortable at the party and were looking forward to doing something with the group at the party that everybody knows and hates doing but does anyway.
12. I don't like when friends of mine ask what Hogwarts house I am apart of.
People do this because they think it is quirky to be a Potterhead or whatever they call themselves. Sure, Harry Potter is fun. But making it a part of the everyday conversation is too far.
13. I don't like when people eat Airheads.
People do this because they don't realize there are better things than Airheads in this world. Better things such as walking on a trail, or falling in love, or rice for instance.
14. I don't like it when roommates don't recycle properly. I don't like this because I have to put the recycling and trash in the proper bins afterward.
A lot of people don't know how to recycle. But this is a whole new level. One of my roommates tried to throw away an abundant amount of candy wrappers all in a plastic bag. None of those things belong in a recycling bin.
15. I don't like it when my parents ask me questions about my life.
My parents are fine. They are fine people. but every time I go over there they ask me about my life and I know it is because they are lonely and closer to death, but they don't have to always be so curious. I liked it better in the days when my dad would make fun of my acne and call it a day.
16. I don't like that my girlfriend doesn't make fun of me.
She's so nice and it really throws me off. It throws me off because I want to make fun of people all the time, and when people are nice to me, it's hard for me to make fun of them.
17. I don't like it when people call me bud.
To be honest, I don't know why people do this. The only explanation is that they are trying to make me uncomfortable. Morris calls me bud all the time and I don't like it.
18. I don't like it when people show me memes on iFunny.
I don't get it and people don't get that I don't get it and that's why they show me memes on ifunny.
19. I don't like it when people only wear flip flops. A lot of people don't know this, but flip flops make a "flip flop" noise. I know this and it annoys me.
People wear flip flops because they have no longer care what others think about them.
20. I don't like it when people do anything other than watch the movie at the movie theater.
Movies are for watching. People don't understand that other people are watching the movie. Don't check your phone, talk, cry, or laugh in a movie theater. Other people are around you. Have some respect.
Reflection:
This assignment was rather therapeutic. I didn't want to stop at 20 because a lot of things bug me. But I figured I should stop because I was enjoying it too much. All joke aside, all of the things above genuinely annoy me. I didn't find it terribly difficult. There are a lot of imperfect things in this world. I am perfectly content with this list.
1. I don't like it when roommates, specifically the ones with black beards and the ones majoring in English, do not clean the leftover dishes, cups, food, and paper the kitchen, dining room, and living room after throwing a party.
Because the roommate, specifically the one with a black beard and the one majoring in English, refuses to clean up his stuff after his other roommates tell him to
2. One of my bugs is when people treat the environment poorly.
This happens because people often take for granted the spaces and areas around them.
3. I don't like it when people sweep their rugs with a broom. I don't like this because of the sound it makes.
This happens because people sweep their rugs with brooms.
4. I don't like it when anybody, anywhere, at anytime, makes grits. Grits are bad.
This happens because people make grits.
5. I don't like it when dudes with huge trucks make the exhaust blow smoke.
This happens because people like to attract attention from others.
6. I don't like it when my friends make fun of me when I eat grape nuts. It's a real cereal and is kind of good sometimes.
This happens because people have never eaten grape nuts and judge grape nuts before they have even tried it.
7. I don't like it when anybody buys beef ramen over any other ramen in this world.
This happens because people have never experimented outside of beef ramen by buying chicken ramen or literally any other ramen.
8. I don't like it when people sing "Friday" by Rebecca Black on Friday. This hasn't happened to me in a very long time, but it makes me mad the few times that it has happened to me lately. Anybody who sings Friday by Rebecca Black should have to face copyright infringement and thus monetarily have to pay the consequences.
This happens because people don't understand that jokes are supposed to be enjoyable.
9. I don't like when angsty teens do things ironically. Enough said.
This happens because angsty teens don't know if what they are about to say is funny or not so they say "I'm doing or saying this ironically" to mask the fact that they actually don't know how to form a joke.
10. I don't like when people buy me candy sushi as a present because I work at a sushi restaurant.
People do this because they think no one has ever done it before and fail to realize that every other person has done this to me.
11. I don't like it when the Cha Cha Slide is played at lame parties and everybody pretends to be surprised.
The Cha Cha Slide is played at every failing party. We all understand that the Cha Cha Slide will be played at a lame party the moment we step into the party. But then people pretend like they are surprised and then they pretend to reluctantly start doing the Cha Cha Slide because they don't want others to know that they were uncomfortable at the party and were looking forward to doing something with the group at the party that everybody knows and hates doing but does anyway.
12. I don't like when friends of mine ask what Hogwarts house I am apart of.
People do this because they think it is quirky to be a Potterhead or whatever they call themselves. Sure, Harry Potter is fun. But making it a part of the everyday conversation is too far.
13. I don't like when people eat Airheads.
People do this because they don't realize there are better things than Airheads in this world. Better things such as walking on a trail, or falling in love, or rice for instance.
14. I don't like it when roommates don't recycle properly. I don't like this because I have to put the recycling and trash in the proper bins afterward.
A lot of people don't know how to recycle. But this is a whole new level. One of my roommates tried to throw away an abundant amount of candy wrappers all in a plastic bag. None of those things belong in a recycling bin.
15. I don't like it when my parents ask me questions about my life.
My parents are fine. They are fine people. but every time I go over there they ask me about my life and I know it is because they are lonely and closer to death, but they don't have to always be so curious. I liked it better in the days when my dad would make fun of my acne and call it a day.
16. I don't like that my girlfriend doesn't make fun of me.
She's so nice and it really throws me off. It throws me off because I want to make fun of people all the time, and when people are nice to me, it's hard for me to make fun of them.
17. I don't like it when people call me bud.
To be honest, I don't know why people do this. The only explanation is that they are trying to make me uncomfortable. Morris calls me bud all the time and I don't like it.
18. I don't like it when people show me memes on iFunny.
I don't get it and people don't get that I don't get it and that's why they show me memes on ifunny.
19. I don't like it when people only wear flip flops. A lot of people don't know this, but flip flops make a "flip flop" noise. I know this and it annoys me.
People wear flip flops because they have no longer care what others think about them.
20. I don't like it when people do anything other than watch the movie at the movie theater.
Movies are for watching. People don't understand that other people are watching the movie. Don't check your phone, talk, cry, or laugh in a movie theater. Other people are around you. Have some respect.
Reflection:
This assignment was rather therapeutic. I didn't want to stop at 20 because a lot of things bug me. But I figured I should stop because I was enjoying it too much. All joke aside, all of the things above genuinely annoy me. I didn't find it terribly difficult. There are a lot of imperfect things in this world. I am perfectly content with this list.
Monday, January 14, 2019
a test
This is a test to check to see if my blog is working correctly. That is all. Thank you.
-Patrick
-Patrick
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)